Scott G. F.

Well, setting aside the ignorant tone of your post, my first suggestion, and one I've made a thousand times, would be to try Jones out there. Sorry did I offend your overly sensitive nature sweety. Jones? Like as in Jacque Jones? Great suggestion....no....no really. I'd rather you said Pie but Jones is....you cannot be serious. Might as well get Lofton for a year. In the defence of JP. Put him in the line-up suggested and he'll produce and have a great year. Jones will have a...er...a...a year just like this year if not worse. But on the bright side the Cubs strikout totals will be maintained. Matthews Jr. would have been a better suggestion. Marion Jones would have been better.

Hello $150m payroll. Ain't going to happen. Contrary to your claim, there aren't a lot of players who had bad years, at least in terms of what was expected. Most Cubs players were either up to expectations, or exceeded them. The problem is that those expectations were so low to begin with, like with guys such as Pierre and Jones. If you want to do a lot of the things you suggest they do to make the team better, one of the first things they have to do is cut bait with Pierre. JP doesn't come close to justifying his salary. He's not productive. He's a one dimensional player with far too many flaws to be consider a must have. Okay, so you have told everyone why you don't like JP but have yet to suggest his replacement. Wow easy critisim. Put your butt in the line of fire and make a suggestion so we can all rip it apart.

Whom are you addressing?

I laugh too. Of course I had to explain it to the guy I share a cube with...who strangly is fond of his red stapler.

I hope to never write one of those 0.500 at (fill in date) next year. With Dusty 'possibly' gone. Hendry could build a good team for a couple years if he signs Zito, and another innings eating pitcher. Signs Soriano for second base, Signs Lee for LF. Resigns JP, extends Am Ram, and Zambrano. Cuts a deal with Wood for the pen. This team doesn't look as bad for next year as people think. The Cubs have pitchers/players that'll go back down in the minor league system with some great major league experiance under their belt. 2007 line: JP Soraino (Unnamed Veteran second baseman with good OBP) D. Lee C. Lee Am Ram Barrett Isturis J. Jones (Pitcher) Starting: Zambo Zito Prior (yes?) Unnamed innings eater pitcher (Wade Miller/Dempster?) Hill, Mateo, Marshall other. Pen: Wood (closer?) Eyre Howry Dempster (closer?) Aardsma Others Bench: Theriot Murton Cedano Mabry Unnamed Veteran(s) The teams outlook isn't as bleak as people think it is. There are to many players this year that have had bad years that next years rebound year could have 4 or 5 guys that have career years. That wins baseballs games. Injuries have played a factor in this years crap feast. It also exposed Dusty's weekness as a manager along with his staff. A good house cleaning is needed, but if resigned to 2 years with the above players signed anybody can do better next year so don't be supprized if Dusty returns with a better team to utillize and manage. Once elimiated I hope the Marlins squeek in to the wild card. It's good looking team.

Hill pitches perfect game. You heard it here first.

Brian, Thanks for the updates. I'm sitting here at work and would reather be sitting a Murphy's watching the game. But then again I'm in florida so both are hard to do right now.

You're assuming dusty will be back not me. long term mediocrity or short term, meaningless victory scrambles? We've already have long term mediocrity!! Don't see your pont.

Not to be snotty, but why root for the Cubs? How about because they're a team that everyone on this board has an emotional investment in? How about because it's counter-productive to root against a team that you supposedly support? I think it's kind of ridiculous that fans would want to see their team lose games in the hopes that next year will be better. They're still a form of entertainment, regardless of the product on the field right now. While I may not support many decisions made by management and dislike the production of several key members of the team, I still would like to see them win. While I think it doesn't make much sense to tell people they can't root for the Cubs, I also think it's irrational to claim it's counter-productive to root against them and that it's ridiculous to want to see them lose in hopes of next year being better. It is not at all counter productive, and it is not at all ridiculous to want to see the team lose now in the hopes that next year will be better. The whole point of having an emotional investment in the team is to want to see them succeed. This year's chances for success are gone, and change is necessary for success to be achieved next year. I totally understand not wanting to take part in the let's lose now so we can win later campaign. But I think it's absurd to criticize those who do. Irregardless if your angle on the season. The Cubs could reach the .500 mark by Septmeber 27th if they win each series. This would be an incredible feat considering they were 23 games below .500 at one point. I'm in the win now, win later catagory so if the younger guy's do well in the field and on the mound then that's great for next year. I can't see how it would help theire confidence if they lost now.

You can't win with rookies, dude. You need seasons veterans, like Neifi out there to guide the boat. We need guys like Izturis out there that can drive in runs with their glove. I just knew your were Dusty!!!! BTW walks clog bases, day games are not winnable....locust...etc...dude.

I couldn't resist. I had to a least put one more 'drive update" on NSBB. If the Cubs win each series, split the Philadelphia 4 games series then the Cubs could realize the .500 mark September 27th. This would leave 4 games left in the season. (3 vs the Rockies). It's nice to see the Cubs play better baseball since the ASG. The O'Malley game last night was a Disney scripted movie. The "KIDS" are playing good. Mateo, TheRiot, Murton Cedano, Hill etc etc etc. It's nice to see something from the Cubs. Here's to a nice finish to a all around crappy year. Go Cubs

Tell him "thank you" for representing the Cubs and all of baseball when he had to announce to the Wrigley crowd that the game between the Cubs and Card's was cancel due to the sudden death of Card's pitcher Darryl Kile. At that moment I wanted Joe Girardi to be involved in someway with the Cubs. He's got brass'uns

"Walks clog bases. It's called hitting not walking." Joe Torre, that crafty old manager!

Sarcastic wave? After the Cubs had a winning home stand it seemed to me the croud did a wave that was kind of sarcastic. Like wahooo look at the Cubs now. I thought it was funny in a sarcastic sort of way.

YOUR NEVER A LOSER UNTIL YOU QUIT TRYING. Miracles can happen. But don't demand or expect them. Just watch and see what happens.

Keep every pitcher under the Sun!!! Sort them out next spring training. Wade could be long/short relief Sept. call-up, build his arm and compete for the starting rotation next spring.

Holy crap my HS kids know to do this. Sometimes it just amazes me how little these guys know about their craft. it's easy to know what to do and another thing to do it. it's like telling hill to just throw strikes or jones not to swing at pitches out of the zone. I don't think it's the same. When you go to the mound and talk to the pitcher he KNOWS he's not throwing strikes but if you find a flaw it may change the result. Knowing to face the pitcher with both eyes is hitting 101. Looking at the pitcher with both eyes is what you're suppose to do to give yourself the best chance to be a successful hitter. Everyone wants to throw strikes or hit pitches in the zone but you have to give yourself the best chance to do that by doing it the right way. When you go to the mound you need to tell the pitcher he's not breathing out of his eye's correctly. Oh and tell him "Rose goes in front"

How come I'm watching the standings still? The Cubs have gained some ground after going 10 and 7 since the ASG. Now with the very sweepable Pirates coming to town why do I feel dread that Cubs will not wipe this team off the field? The Cubs could sweep these guys and in doing so will be 15 games under 0.500. Still not good, but still not 23 games under 0.500 bad either. I like the winning attitude of the team since the ASG. Not counting May and June the Cubs are 28-25. It beggs the question what the heak happened for those 2 months? It cannot all be blamed on D Lee's injury! I hope Z gets his no-no this year and the Cubs walk all over these guys. Just watch out for Sanchez and Bay. Cubs win 6-0

Down 7-1 after 5..Marmol gave up 5 in the first. Thanks.....almost sorry I asked.

Can someone provide a score?

Nah, but I got my plugs in for Wuertz, Walker and OBP. Funny that I noticed that you did too. Keep pushing the OBP. That'll help the most.

I'll be damned. You learn new jibberish every day. I guess time will tell. Early returns look promising.

Props for a good point. Well played.

That is just wrong. He said one thing about the pitchers giving up runs well after their 2 month run of suckiness and we still don't know under what context the question was asked. Aramis is NOT the reason the Cubs are where they are. It's the whole team. Manager, coaches, front office. Everyone! You might want to read the entire post. I didn't single out Am ram as THE cause, just one of the reasons why the Cubs stunk in the first half and why they'll play better in the second is all. Yes everyone is to blame. I agree. Am Ram is a support role player and seems to be happy with that. He thrives when surrenound by and Sammy Sosa or D Lee. Alone he falls.

Doesn't the bolded part go hand in hand with '04, though? If you're going to blame losses in '06 on off the field and exclude playoff pressure, then history would mention Sept of '04. This recent streak go with the ups and downs of a regular season that unfort. has had more downs than ups for reasons that don't pertain to pressure about their manager's fate. Teams w/good winning records will have rare moments of rough stretches and teams w/poor winning records will have rare good stretches. No doubt about it. The Cubs team has many more flaws and the pressure of playing for your managers job didn't help. This team needs to get healthy and get retooled for 2007.